Portable computing devices, such as palm-top computers, hand-held computers, laptop computers, personal computer tablets, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), have become increasingly popular. Many of these portable computing devices comprise an electronic stylus or pen that can be utilized by a user to input information into the computer or to select menu options or otherwise navigate through a graphical user interface of an operating system or running software application.
Various mechanisms have been utilized to hold or otherwise mount the stylus or pen to or into the portable computing device. Most mechanisms are focused on a design that allows for manual ejection of the pen. These include pushing on one side of the pen and having the other side pop-up for the user to grab. In many cases, this can be a poor mechanism because of the need for two hands, which limits usability for customers having only one hand. Other mechanisms bury the pen in the system and require the user to grab a tab and pull the pen out manually. This can be difficult, as these pens are usually very small. Having a feature to grab can be difficult for those with large fingers or reduced dexterity. Further, in many of these manual mechanisms, the pen holding element wears down over time, which may result in the pen falling out without the user wanting it to.